Voter enrolment system in Bengaluru still has flaws: Activists

Steps taken by authorities to make process easier not enough, says activists

Last year, names of 15,000 online applicants were missing in draft electoral rolls as they were not reflected in CEO Karnataka’s site. File Photo

BENGALURU: Much as the election authorities claim to have made the enrolment process easier for voters, campaigners for reform believe it is not enough.

“We are opening up Bangalore One centres for issuing election photo identity card (EPIC). We are also launching a facility where once you submit the application, you will either be given the card then and there, or be given a notice citing why the application has been rejected,” Karnataka’s chief electoral officer Sanjiv Kumar told ET.

This system is expected to put an end to officials rejecting applications without citing a valid reason. Voter registration campaigners, while welcoming the changes, point out that some basic issues are not dealt with.

“There are two major issues that we have been constantly asking authorities to fix. One, boothlevel officers (BLOs) are not making house visits. Two, not integrating National Voters’ Services Portal (NVSP) with the CEO Karnataka website,” said Anjali Saini from Million Voter Rising campaign.

Due to BLOs not paying house visits, filled up application forms in Mahadevapura area continue to remain with applicants. “Electoral registration officers are telling us to collect applications with the assurance that officials will come and collect them later. We are now planning to request the CEO Karnataka to extend the deadline for submitting applications,” Saini said.

November 20 is the deadline for submitting the forms. However, BLOs this reporter spoke to said that there are problems with house visits.

“Timing is a constraint as we have to visit houses before office hours or after office hours. It is also a challenge to gain entry into an apartment. They do not let us in,” a BLO from Shanthinagar constituency said. Not integrating NVSP with the CEO Karnataka website affects those who submit applications online.

Due to non-integration, election authorities in Karnataka are unaware of the applications submitted through NVSP. Last year, names of around 15,000 online applicants were missing in the draft electoral rolls as they were not reflected in CEO Karnataka’s site. Soon after the election authorities announced electoral roll registration, B.PAC, a nonprofit that launched a ‘One Million New Voters’ campaign made a submission to the CEO Karnataka. Some of their demands included generating SMS immediately after Form 6 is approved, issuing notice if the application is rejected, simplifying online registration and setting up voter facilitation camps.

Ananda Thirtha, who is a part of the campaign, said that the B.PAC will carry out a follow-up on their submission. “We do not know if the issues we have highlighted are addressed or not. We will meet the CEO soon,” he said. CEO Karnataka said he has started bringing some changes in the system and intends to incorporate other suggestions in the days to come.